RC110 JanFeb 2024 - Magazine - Page 42
CLOSING SHOT
THE COMPETITIVE
ADVANTAGE OF
UPSKILLING
by Dennis Cinello
PSKILLING is a considerable asset to develop as a business leader. Acquiring new skills and advancing
the ones you already have help you stay ahead of
competitors, be a good example to other members
of your organization and learn things you otherwise
wouldn’t. As a manager in the construction industry,
upskilling is not only a huge asset but is crucial to the success
of your organization.
As of 2023, almost three-quarters of construction professionals surveyed said Canada is behind other countries in
adopting new technologies into construction processes. By
investing in your management team’s training now, you can
adopt tech that will be a game-changer for your organization. Not only does upskilling help keep you ahead of the
competition in terms of technology, but it also enhances
your ability to handle more complex tasks and tackle challenges head-on. Those continuously investing in learning
and development are better suited to handle a diverse workload and pivot when challenges arise.
As a manager, investing in your own personal development can also set a good example for other workers, making
them want to learn more and perform better on the job site.
In the construction industry, where people often have a
speci昀椀c, targeted skillset, seeking additional skill-building
opportunities can help your team increase their con昀椀dence
and engagement with the work itself.
U
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RENEW CANADA – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
ees are safe and on the same page. Di昀昀erent online courses
can target e昀昀ective communication, time management and
performance management to help improve employees’ soft
skills.
ENCOURAGE EXTERNAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
Depending on the size of your company, consider outsourcing your professional development program by partnering
with educational institutions. A professional institution has
all the resources needed to train construction professionals
in the skills that are in growing demand in the industry.
With access to cutting-edge technology and educators from
the industry, managers can access all the training needed to
upskill their trade.
Upskilling going forward
In 2023, when many construction companies are struggling
to keep up with demand, an upskilled and agile management team is crucial for driving success and growth for
your company. Construction is constantly expanding, and to
stand out and excel you need to focus on upskilling, both for
management and employees. Upskilling can help you adapt
your organization to new technologies, engage better with
your role and create more e昀케ciencies across job sites.
Dennis Cinello is vice president
of the Skilled Trades Division at
Herzing College, a career-focused
post-secondary institution
GETTY IMAGES
Developing your upskilling strategy
OFFER ON-THE-JOB TRAINING. In a hands-on industry, on-the-job
training is a must. This method di昀昀ers from shadowing or
simply teaching processes. Practical training aims to 昀椀ll
gaps and develop new mechanisms for managing tasks
more e昀昀ectively. Construction managers sit at the centre
of operations in that they handle both administrative and
technical aspects of construction jobs and are the main point
of contact for employees and executives.
Have your construction managers 昀椀rst identify the gaps
in current operations. These issues may stem from external
and internal factors; knowing the di昀昀erence will help work
toward a solution. Work together to develop strategies to
昀椀ll these gaps in practice. Have managers implement them
in their daily operations and tweak them as needed. Invest
in and test new technology that may help e昀케ciency, and
have managers report back to tweak as needed. On-the-job
training should be a continuous process.
UTILIZE ONLINE TRAINING. For soft skills training, online resources
can be bene昀椀cial for construction managers. Construction
projects by nature create high-stakes, stressful environments. Managers need to approach problems that arise with
empathy and e昀昀ective communication to ensure all employ-
Upskilling can help you adapt your organization to
new technologies, engage better with your role and
create more efficiencies across job sites.
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